Driver in Fairhaven fatal hit-and run found guilty of all charges

Renee Andrews was found guilty of all counts Wednesday in the 2011 hit-and-run on Sconticut Neck Road that killed Katelyn Brienzo and injured Ellery Reynolds.

Ariel Wittenberg

FALL RIVER — Renee Andrews was found guilty of all counts today in the 2011 hit-and-run on Sconticut Neck Road that killed Katelyn Brienzo and injured Ellery Reynolds.

Andrews, 37, was found guilty of motor vehicle homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

The verdict came after more than seven hours of jury deliberations over the course of two days.

When the first “guilty” was read by the jury foreman today, members of the Brienzo family in the courtroom breathed a sigh of relief and began to cry.

Andrews herself also became emotional during the reading of the verdict, needing to sit down after verdicts for the first two charges were read.

After the verdict was read she hung her head in her hands and used a tissue.

After a brief recess, the court determined that victim impact statements will be read at sentencing on June 30.

Assistant District Attorney Pat Bomberg had also asked Judge Renee Dupuis to revoke Andrews' bail. Dupuis denied the request but did place Andrews on house arrest with a GPS bracelet until sentencing. She will be able to travel to and from work.

After the verdicts were read, Brienzo's family members said they hoped it would be a warning to others.

“I hope it sends a message to everyone that when you hit someone or something you are accountable,” Brienzo's mother Karen Fostin said. She said she has seen other hit and runs reported on the news since Brienzo's death and that it “breaks my heart.”

“It's not OK to leave someone for dead, and my daughter was left for dead.”

Brienzo's sister, Ashlee Brienzo-Lentini agreed, saying she and her family are hoping Andrews will be incarcerated for many years.

“She has lived her life so far and my sister has not,” Brienzo-Lentini said. “It's not OK to leave the scene and she has to own up to what she's done.”

Andrews and her family did not answer questions from reporters upon leaving the courtroom. She stood silently with her head down until the elevator came.

Her attorney, Shane Carlson, told reporters, “it's a great jury,” as he entered the elevator. Later, he explained over the phone that the jury was “very attentive and extremely committed.”

“I can't ever question a jury,” he said. He said he could not comment further on the case because Andrews has not yet been sentenced.

Andrews faces mandatory jail time for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a death. That charge has a mandatory maximum of 10 years in state prison and a mandatory minimum of one year in the House of Corrections. Leaving the scene of an injury carries a maximum of two years in the House of Corrections with no mandatory minimum and negligent motor vehicle homicide carries a maximum of two and a half years also in the House of Corrections with no mandatory minimum.

The length of each sentence, where they will be served and whether they will be served concurrently or consecutively is all at the judge's discretion.